Fire-escape



(No Model.)

4 G. W. BOWMAN.

FIRE ESCAPE.

Patented Dec. 23, 1890.

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UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

GEORGE \V. BO'WMAN, OF RED CLIFF, COLORADO.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 443,388, dated December23 1890.

Application filed May 15, 1890. Serial No. 351,883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE 1V. BOWMAN, of Red Cliff, in the county ofEagle and State of Colorado, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Fire-Escapes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

My invention relates to an improved fireescape, and has for its objectto provide an escape in the form of any easy-chair, and so constructedthat in its descent a guy tape or rope will be wound in such manner thatthe said rope or tape may be utilized to return the chair from theground to a window, roof, or other portion of the building from whichthe chair has descended.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple form of brakewhereby the rapidity of the descent may be conveniently regulated by theoccupant of the chair, which brake acts automatically in a measureshould the occupant of the chair be unable to manipulate it.

A further object of the invention is to provide a chair so constructedthat women, children, or invalids may safely and conveniently enter itwhen suspended outside of a building and in position for descending.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of theseveral parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed outin the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar figures and letters of referenceindicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the chair represented as in the act ofdescending. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the chair, and Fig. 3 is aplan view thereof.

In carrying out the invention the body of the escape is made in theshape of a chair A, preferably of that type known as an arm or easychair. The frame of the said chair is preferably constructed of metaland as light as possible consistent with strength and durability. Theseat of the chair and the back may, if desired, be constructed of wovenwire or perforated metal, and the upper portion of the back is curvedinward, as is best illustrated at 10 in Fig. 1, in order that when thechair is raised or lowered close to the building its progress will notbe retarded by projections upon the building, such as sills, caps, &c.

An aperture is made in the seat of the chair at each side, and to thelower walls of each of the apertures the lower end of a tube 11 issecured in any suitable or approved manner, which tubes at their upperends are firmly attached to the curved portion 10 of the back of thechair, as is best illustrated in Fig. 1. The said tubes extend upwardpreferably in contact with the inner faces of the arms 12 of the chair.

In the lower portion of the frame a shaft 13 is journaled, extendingthrough from side to side. drum-wheel 14 is rigidly secured, and at eachside of the said drum-wheel smaller drumwheels 15 are attached to thesaid shaft.

Abar 16 is passed through the upper portion of the base of the chairbelow the seat thereof, and upon the said bar the upper bifurcated endof a guide-fingerl6 is attached, which finger is curved downwardimmediately in front'of the large drum-wheel, and the lower end of thefinger is made to terminate in an eye or loop. Upon the upper surface ofthe finger one end of a spring 17 is rigidly secured, the other end ofwhich spring is carried downward nearly to the bottom or lower end ofthe finger, and in the lower extremity of the said spring afriction-roller 18 is journaled.

Upon the hub of thecentral drum-wheel 11 one end of a metal tape 19 issecured, and the distance between the side faces of the drumwheel ispreferably made to correspond, essentially, in width to the width of thetape. Thus when the tapeis wound upon the drum-wheel one coil will beimmediatelyover the other, and to the hub of each of the sidedrum-wheels 15 a similar tape 20 is attached at one end. Theconstruction of the side wheels is practically the same as the centraldrum-wheel. The side tapes 20 are carried upward through the aperturesin the bottom of the chair above referredto, and also through the tubes11 and out beyond said tubes, the upper end of each tape beingpreferably made to terminate in a Upon the center of the shaft a largelink, loop, or eye 2]. 'lhctapcs it) are wound upon both of theirdrum-wheels in the same direction; but the tape 19 is wound in anopposite direction upon its drum-wheel. Thus 5 when the tape 19 isunwound the shaft is rotated in a direction that will cause the tapes 20to wind up upon their respective wheels, and vice versa. The free end ofthe tape it! is passed through the loop or eye of the tin- IO ger 16 incontact with the l'rictitnrroller 18.

In the sides of the lower or base portion of the chair,innnediatelybelow the seat, the ends of a crank-shaft 22 are journaled,the cranle arm of which shaft is preferably upwardly 15 curved and is ofa width practically corresponding to the width of the space interveningthe sides of the chair, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2.

One end of the crank-shaft has attached :0 thereto a lever 2 which leverextends up ward and engages with a rack 24, attached to the outer faceof one of the arms 12 of the chair, as best shown in Fig. l. Upon thecrank-arm of the crank-shaft 22 abrake-shoc 25 25 is rigidly secured,which brake-shoe is curved and of sufficient length to contact with theperipheral surface of each of the drunnwheels upon the shaft 13. Thebrakeshoe is normally retained in contact with the 0 said drum-wheels bymeans of engaging spring-pressed blocks 2U, which blocks are held toslide in sockets 27, attached to a rod 28, the ends of which rod arefirmly secured in the sides of the base of the chair at its rearportioih In the lower rear end of the base of the chair a spindle 211 issecured, and upon the ends of said spindle, which project beyond thesides of the chair-frame, wheels 30 are loosely mounted, the said wheelsbeing adapted, when the chair is lowered and is carried close to thebuilding, to contact with any projection upon said building-such as awindowdow-sill or a window or door cap, for instance- 5 and assist thechair in passing the same.

I do not confine myself to the particular manner illustrated ofattaching the sockets 27 to the chair or to the manner in which theguide-wheels 30 are attached to the said chair.

A preferred method of securing the tapes 20 over the window-sillconsists in attaching short tapes 32, provided with clips 31, to anyobjector suitable support within the room. As illustrated in Fig. 1, theinner ends of the tapes 32 are attached to the inner under side of thewindow-sill by screws 33, and the rings 21 are attached to the clips 31.

In order to prevent the occupant of the chair from falling out, aretaining strap or bar 3t is attached to one arm and a latch therefor tothe other arm.

In operation the chair is placed upon the window-sill and the tapes 20are attached to the supports employed. The tape 19, which is uneoiled,isthen thrown out of the window, and the said tape is of such a lengththat its lower end will reach the ground. The chair is then pushed outand is ready to receive crsons to be lowered. The springs pressing theblocks 26 are strong enough to cause the brakeshoc to contactsufficiently with the d rum-wheels to prevent the said wheels fromturning when the chair is unoccupied, and the springs are also strongenough to sustain at least a portion of the weight of. a person ofordinary size. \Vhen the person is seated in the chair, by manipulatingthe brakelcver 23 more or less tension may be brought to bear upon thedrum-wheels and the rapidit'yof the descent thereby regulated. As thechair dcscends the tapes "30 1lll\\lll(l,ttll(l the guy-tape 19, whichis controlled by persons below, is wound upon its drum-wheel, and whenthe chair has reached the ground it may be returned to the window fromwhich it was started or to any other window beneath it by unwinding thetape it], whereupon the tapes 20 will be wound upon their drum-wheelsand the chair accordingly made to ascend. The greatest power is exertedover the resistance of the brake at the beginning of the descent anddecreases as the chair travels in the direction of the ground. Thus ifthe springs prcssii'ig the blocks 20 are strong enough to hold theweight of the chair and a portion of the weight of an average person atthe start, and if the chair through lack of knowledge or carelessness isallowed to desccnd with its occupant, and nothing but the pressure ofthe springs is exerted to prevent its sudden fall, the said chair will,before go ing far, overcome its speed by the lessening of the leverageof the coiled tapes :20 over the resistance of the brake. It is obviousthat the escape may be operated by firemen, police, or any personsinterested in rescuing endangered persons, and that it can be returnedto any window beneath the one to which the upper ends of the tapes 20arcatt-ached. 'lhc escape may also be utilized to quickly hoist a personto any window or story of a dwelling for the purpose of assistinghelpless ones or to aid in extinguishing the fire, thus dispensing withthe use of long ladders and in many instances enabling points to bereached which could not be approached with a ladder or ladders. Thechair may also be lowered at any angle, thereby avoiding smoke or flamesissuing from the lower windows, and as flat tapes are employed insteadof ropes, and also as the said tapes coil upon themselves, the chair inits descent held porfectly steady.

.llaving thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent-- 1. In a fire escape, the combination,with aseat, of a shaft journalcd beneath said seat, a

large drunrwheel secured upon said shaft; and smaller drunnwheels ateach side of the large wheel, tapes wound upon the smaller drum-wheelsin the same direction and extending upward beyond the seat, and a tapealso wound upon the larger drum-wheel. in

an opposite direction to the tapes of the smaller wheels, and aspring-pressed brake consisting in a crank-shaft under the seat providedwith a shoe engaging the ends of the several drums, and anoperating-lever extending upward alongside of one of the chairarins,adapted for contact with the peripheral surface of the drum-wl1eels,substantially as shown and described.

2. In a fire-escape, the combination, with a chair, a shaft j ournaledbeneath the seat of the chair, a drum-wheel secured to the center of thesaid shaft, and smaller drum-wheels attached near each end of the shaft,of tapes wound in the same direction upon each of the smallerdrum-wheels and extending upward beyond the seat of the chair, a tapewound in the opposite direction upon the central drum-wheel, aspring-pressed brake adapted for contact with the peripheral surface ofthe said drumwheels, a guide-finger projected downward in front ofthecentral drum-wheel, and a springsupported friction-roller attached tothe said guide-finger, substantially as shown and described, and for thepurpose specified.

3. In a fire-escape, the combination, with a chair-like body providedwith apertures in its seat and having the back forwardly inclined at itsupper end, a tubular housing secured to the seat around each of theapertures therein and extending upward to a contact with the back, ashaft journaled in the chair-frame beneath' the seat, a drum-wheelattached to the said shaft, and smaller drum-wheels near each end, oftapes wound in the same direction upon the smaller drum-wheels andcarried upward through the tubular housings, a tape wound in theopposite direction upon the central drum-wheel, and a spring-pressedbrake adapted for contact with the peripheral surface of thedrum-wheels, substantially as shown and described.

4. In a fire-escape, the combination, with a chair-like body providedwith apertures in its seat and having the back forwardly inclined at itsupper end,atubular housing secured to the seat around each of theapertures therein and extending upward to a contact with the back, ashaft journaled in the chair-frame beneath the seat, a drum-wheelattached to the said shaft, and smaller drum-wheels near each end, oftapes wound in the same direction upon the smaller drum-wheels andcarried upward through the tubular housings to a connection with awindow-sill, a guide-finger curved downward in front of the centraldrum-wheel and having an attached spring-supported friction-roller, atape wound upon the central drum-Wheel in an opposite direction to thewinding of the side tapes, which tape passes through the guide-finger incontact with the friction-roller, a spring-pressed brake adapted forcontact with the periphery of the drum-wheels, and guide-wheels pivotedto the lower rear portion of the chair-frame, substantially as shown anddescribed, and for the purpose specified.

GEORGE W. BOWMAN.

Witnesses:

J. B. PHILLIPPI, W. S. MONTGOMERY.

